Public and political communications
Public communication in the public interest
Public communication is carried out by a variety of players, including the State, politicians, local authorities, administrations, national institutions, local public bodies (hospitals, tourist offices, universities, etc.) and even associations. It is aimed at a diverse target audience ranging from citizens, employees and civil servants to tourists, economic decision-makers and companies. Its mission is strategic, highlighting public action. However, its objectives are even broader: improving civic knowledge, maintaining public debate, informing about and encouraging public services, enriching citizenship, promoting the region, animating local life, relaying the great causes of associations and also accompanying ongoing revolutions…
Public communication thus gives meaning to public and political life, and serves the general interest.
Public communication tools
Nowadays, the digital world is involved in all public communication projects. Even if traditional media (posters, newspapers, brochures, etc.) continue to be used for in-depth issues, to illustrate major projects and thus reach those who do not have access to digital technology, digital media respond to a need for immediate, instant and transparent information, and even for participation or consultation. Conversational communication via social networks is also a trend in public life. It’s not unusual for cities, regions and governments to recruit community managers to run their platforms.
Events, for their part, have always had a privileged place, as they respond to the need for social ties and strengthen the attachment of local residents. There are many ways of communicating to reach target audiences… but one of the major challenges of public communications today is to restore confidence in the public word.
So, above all, the strategies and resources deployed must “make sense”, resonate to (re)connect with constituents, residents, users and citizens.
For elected representatives, associations and institutions, public relations represent an effective means of engaging in dialogue with their stakeholders, and thus reaching out to all those involved in public life.
Want to improve your public communications? Our teams are at your disposal to explain how business solutions can solve your problems.
Our operational solutions for political and public communications
Metropolitown offers its customers, most of whom are public or political figures, decision-makers in local or national authorities, managers of small, medium-sized or large companies, local or national elected officials, directors of ministerial cabinets or heads of government departments, etc., offers combining strategic consulting services and the operational deployment of media solutions based on the development of a plan structured in 3 essential stages:
1. Initial image diagnosis.
2. An in-depth diagnosis of public opinion and communication issues, and the deployment of selected actions.
3. Their follow-up and feedback ensure effective communication.
Political personality: Build your image in 3 points
Constructing a political image is essential for political existence. To improve your image, work in 3 areas.
Unfortunately, to exist and make a name for yourself in politics, it’s not enough to work on your issues; you also have to build and work on your political image. Here are 3 points to decipher and put in place to enhance your image.
1- Building your image: Who you are
You don’t need to “tell stories”. Embodying who you are is the most straightforward and therefore the strongest representation you can broadcast. But to do this, you need to be very aware of the story you embody within your political group and as a personality. For example, you could be the village child, the sportswoman from the handball club, “Mrs Brocolis” who advocates more organic food in canteens, etc. Whatever the case, who you are is at the crossroads between what others understand about you and what you’ve worked to become the local politician you are today.
But how do you know who you are? First, ask yourself the following questions: why were you asked to join the list? Why did you create this list? Who do you want to represent? What do you stand for? All the answers to these questions form the basis of your personal story, that of the elected representative you are. Then ask the people around you, your family, your friends… They’re sure to have a neutral and benevolent view of the position you’re taking – even if unconsciously – in your group. And then, if you feel confident enough, ask your elected colleagues as well. For example, they may be able to share their observations on the issues you’re most involved in, even though you don’t really realize it any more. For example, “You know, Marianne, we call on you when the liberal professions call on us”.
2- What you’re doing
It’s not “just” a question of who you are, but also of what you do, and therefore how you operate in this public/political environment. What do you do as part of this mandate? What committees do you sit on? What does this mean for you? For you, but also in the eyes of your fellow citizens, other elected representatives, local players and so on.
The way you act reveals a great deal about your positioning. The issues that make up your mandate also determine your topicality. If you sit on the planning committee, your positioning will not be the same as if you sit on the culture committee. Your contacts and network will also be very different, and so will your positioning.
Make sense. First and foremost for yourself, in your actions and projects, but also for those who make up your environment. If you come to mind when people talk about the inter-communal transport project, then it’s a safe bet that this is one of the axes of your positioning. Many experts in political communication recommend that you have a favorite subject to embody. This doesn’t mean that you can’t take an interest in libraries if you have a delegation for water management, but it does mean that you should avoid carrying projects that are too far apart publicly, in the media, at public meetings or on strategic commissions, at the risk of confusing the message.
An unclear positioning in terms of what you do can mislead your community’s constituents: if people don’t understand what you do, they may question your legitimacy; if the media don’t identify you on targeted subjects, you won’t be able to assert yourself on them either.
3- What you stand for
To complete the spectrum of asserting your political personality, what you stand for in your mandate is also important. Not to be confused with who you are, this part concerns your values. Although these three points are intimately linked, they remain different.
The values you publicly embody are broader than a locally-driven project. Your values give meaning to what you’re committed to. They explain why you sit on certain committees and not others, and enable you to embody your mandate more forcefully.
The definition of “values” in the Larousse dictionary presents them as “what is posited as true, beautiful, good, from a personal point of view or according to the criteria of a society, and which is given as an ideal to be attained, as something to be defended”. In this way, your values are both personal and understood and integrated by everyone else. Your values make you who you are and set you apart from the rest. Don’t hesitate to assert them. Equality, commitment, inclusion, freedom… There are a multitude of values. It’s up to you to define them, assume them and embody them.
Defining who you are politically isn’t always easy, but you can work on building your image. To do this, the 3 key points are: who you are, what you do and what you represent. Get in touch with us today, and we’ll be happy to go into more detail together to help you enhance your brand image… So, it’s up to you!
Why choose Metropolitown as your political communications agency?
Our experience and know-how dedicated to public action :
– Political communications consultancy for national and local governments, in France and abroad
– Media consulting and press relations for heads of state and government, ministers and national and local executives
– Staging media and political “sequences” to enhance political or public action
– Political communication for public figures
– Elections strategy
– Election campaign support
– Preparation of candidate politicians (team training, media training, etc.)
– Advice to elected representatives
– Strengthening and monitoring public image (personal branding, cleaning up e-reputation on the Internet)
– Institutional communication for states, governments, ministries, local authorities, public institutions and international organizations
– Political crisis communication
– Institutional crisis communications
– Consulting in corporate communication strategies
– Information strategies and valorization of public policy assessments
– Management of institutional relations, network development and coordination
– Studies and positioning notes
– Public communications
– Enhancing territorial branding and public identity
– Brand image and opinion research analysis
– Developing a public and political communications strategy
– Consulting and management of systems (media, non-media, real-time press reviews, social network conversation analysis reports, etc.).
– Election campaign management
– Management of corporate information campaigns
– Identity, graphic charter, web design…
– Publishing (regional magazine, newsletter, brochure, activity report, etc.…)
– Internet sites, intranet, mobile, application, newsletter, political community management, public community management…
Audiovisual (film, reportage, web TV…)
– Political press relations, public relations, political crisis management, political media training
– Events (seminars, conferences, major project inaugurations, etc.)
– Preparation of TV debates or programs
– Political storytelling…
Both political and corporate communications have undergone profound changes in recent years. Firstly, the proliferation of media outlets (DTT, 24-hour news channels, parliamentary channels, etc.) has accentuated competition between media outlets, resulting in constant one-upmanship. Then came the transition to Web 3.0 and the explosion of social and digital networks, which have both accelerated political time, giving the public the impression that elections are going on all the time, and offered the means to give one’s opinion on everything all the time, sharing it with as many people as possible. Political communication is now indispensable. Everything must be monitored and analyzed in real time: a press article, a tweet from an influential blogger, a blog from a journalist… The important thing is to react quickly and effectively. Saying nothing is no longer an option. Lying is not an option. The question is what to say, how to say it and when to say it.
The desire to control the political agenda and occupy the media stage, without ever allowing the press to create its own event to its detriment, means that politicians and institutional players have to anticipate. From now on, public and political communication must be based on political argumentation that is constantly renewed and updated in terms of content and presentation, in order to reinforce the right political fit with the electorate.
In a nutshell, our job is to preserve our customers’ image and reputation over the long term, while guaranteeing a positive reputation and high visibility. For us, political communication must be clear, precise, guiding and enlightening.
Would you like to find out more? Our experts are at your disposal to answer your questions and help you develop your political communications strategy. See you soon!